Chicago, Part I: City of Architecture (& Art!)
Anyone who’s ever been out with me and my camera knows how I’m constantly looking up capturing angles of buildings against the skies. I’ll stare at tall buildings until they look to be moving, until I get that odd sense of dizziness. If I’m not looking upward to the sky, I’m searching for portals—windows, doors, narrow streets. I guess I’m forever looking up and through—figuratively and literally. And maybe, just maybe, the seeds of this habit (obsession?) started when I was barely school-aged.
According to family stories, I once declared with utter confidence, when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, “an architect.” Why? No idea. I knew of no architects, I wasn’t a kid who played with blocks or Lego (didn’t start that hobby until the pandemic!), and, to my knowledge, I wasn’t really all that familiar with what architects did. But, given my precocious self, I’m sure I said it—and probably believed it. Somewhere along the line, though, I realized I’d never have a chance at that particular career; someone must have clued me in that it involved a lot of math. My lack of math skills aside, perhaps I knew innately that imagining structures that could withstand the tests of time and environment and reach toward the heavens appealed to who I am at my core: a dreamer and a seeker.
So when I had the opportunity to visit Chicago for a quick 1.5 days in March 2024 while my husband attended a conference, I knew I’d focus my time on architecture—specifically, the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright—and art. And damn, did I pack a lot in just 36 hours. Had it not been mid-March and still very, very cold, I would have considered an architecture boat tour of the city, but even I have my limits. Chicago is a fantastic city, and while I haven’t come even close to exploring it fully over the years, my few visits always leave me wanting to return—and I’m sure I will! Also, given that we were visiting over the St. Patrick’s Day holiday, I got to see the Chicago River in all its green splendor!
I would have just 1.5 days to narrow my focus in Chicago. Amidst all the options, I had only two firm plans: a tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park (and accompanying self-guided audio tour of the surrounding neighborhood) and a visit to the Art Institute of Chicago. For both, I booked my admission in advance. After those, I’d see what kind of time I had left; due to equal parts inspiration and serendipity, I added on three more art/architecture-based adventures: an exhibit featuring a selection of Steve McCurry’s photographs, a tour of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House, and a quick visit to the Chicago Architecture Center before boarding an Amtrak train to head to New Mexico, where my art adventure continued!
Each tour and exhibit inspired me beyond words; taken together, however, I left with an incredibly full soul and mind. In fact, just trying to put these experiences into words for this blog has been quite the challenge—another reason these posts have taken me months to organize, write and post!
Continue on to Part I: Frank Lloyd Wright, Oak Park, and Robie House
Part II: The Art Institute and an incredible exhibit of photographer Steve McCurry